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Monthly Archives: October 2011

This post is about a different kind of journey, an inevitable one that is at the center of every religion and culture around the world.

It’s been nearly two weeks since the relative of someone dear to my heart passed away. It was exactly during Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day for the Jews. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people, individuals and God. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day God decided the fate of each human being.

It was a Sunday afternoon, the sun shined high over our heads.We said our final goodbyes during a touching and lovely Jewish service. The Rabbi performed a series of prayers and afterwards the family read a few of the deceased favorite poems. One of them was a beautiful poem by Maya Angelou.

The greatest influence in your life, stronger even than your will power, is your environment. Change that, if necessary. Until you are mentally strong, you can never be what you want to be without good environment to help you.–Paramahansa Yogananda

“Ming Tree”

For my birthday, I really wanted to do something different, something that would refresh my spirit and my mind. Oh boy, was I blown away by the beauty of the meditation gardens in Encinitas, about 20-25 miles from San Diego. I was so glad my boyfriend’s mom told me about them. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have ever heard about them. This is truly a hidden gem in San Diego, a great place where one can truly appreciate silence and its power.